MMOONNTTAANNAA United States FFOORREESSTT IINNSSEECCTT Department of Agriculture AANNDD DDIISSEEAASSEE Forest Service CCOONNDDIITTIIOONNSS AANNDD Northern Region Forest Health PPRROOGGRRAAMM Protection HHIIGGHHLLIIGGHHTTSS Report 05-1 Armillaria Mushrooms Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Forestry Division Mountain Pine Beetle Mortality in Whitebark Pine in Yellowstone NP MMOONNTTAANNAA FFoorreesstt IInnsseecctt aanndd DDiisseeaassee CCoonnddiittiioonnss aanndd PPrrooggrraamm HHiigghhlliigghhttss -- 22000044 Report 05-1 2005 Compiled By: Larry Meyer, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection Contributors: Beverly Bulaon, Gregg DeNitto, Ken Gibson, Marcus Jackson, John Schwandt, Sandy Kegley, Blakey Lockman, Larry Stipe, Nancy Sturdevant, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection; Amy Kearney, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Forestry Division Data Summary and Map Production: Larry Stipe, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection Cover Photo: Mountain pine beetle mortality in whitebark pine in Yellowstone NP, courtesy of Ken Gibson, USDA Forest Service. Armillaria mushrooms, archives, USDA Forest Service. Text Edits: Sue Sebbas, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, Administrative Staff TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3 SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS......................................................................................................3 Bark Beetles.............................................................................................................................3 Defoliators................................................................................................................................3 Root Diseases..........................................................................................................................2 Dwarf Mistletoes......................................................................................................................2 White Pine Blister Rust...........................................................................................................2 ANNUAL AERIAL SURVEY.........................................................................................................2 INSECTS ......................................................................................................................................3 Abbreviations ..........................................................................................................................3 BARK BEETLE CONDITIONS BY REPORTING AREA IN BRIEF.............................................4 BARK BEETLE CONDITIONS BY REPORTING AREA .............................................................6 Beaverhead Reporting Area ...................................................................................................6 Bitterroot Reporting Area .......................................................................................................7 Custer Reporting Area ............................................................................................................8 Deerlodge Reporting Area......................................................................................................9 Flathead Reporting Area.......................................................................................................10 Gallatin Reporting Area ........................................................................................................13 Helena Reporting Area..........................................................................................................15 Kootenai Reporting Area ......................................................................................................16 Lewis & Clark Reporting Area..............................................................................................18 Lolo Reporting Area..............................................................................................................19 Garnet Reporting Area (BLM)...............................................................................................22 INDIAN RESERVATIONS ..........................................................................................................22 Blackfeet IR............................................................................................................................22 Crow IR...................................................................................................................................22 Flathead IR .............................................................................................................................22 Fort Belknap IR......................................................................................................................23 Northern Cheyenne IR ..........................................................................................................23 Rocky Boys IR .......................................................................................................................24 NATIONAL PARKS....................................................................................................................24 Glacier NP ..............................................................................................................................24 Yellowstone NP .....................................................................................................................24 DEFOLIATORS ..........................................................................................................................25 Western Spruce Budworm ...................................................................................................25 Douglas-fir Tussock Moth ....................................................................................................26 Gypsy Moth............................................................................................................................27 Other Defoliators ...................................................................................................................27 DISEASES..................................................................................................................................28 Root Diseases........................................................................................................................28 White Pine Blister Rust.........................................................................................................28 Dwarf Mistletoes....................................................................................................................29 Heartwood Stem Decays ......................................................................................................30 Foliage Diseases ...................................................................................................................30 Elytroderma needle blight ....................................................................................................31 Sphaeropsis (Diplodia) shoot blight and canker................................................................31 Western gall rust and Sphaeropsis shoot blight................................................................31 COMPLEXES AND DECLINES .................................................................................................32 Subalpine Fir Mortality..........................................................................................................32 Aspen Decline and Mortality ................................................................................................32 ABIOTIC .....................................................................................................................................32 1 Herbicide ................................................................................................................................32 Drought ..................................................................................................................................32 Hazard Tree Management in Recreation Sites ...................................................................32 SPECIAL PROJECTS ................................................................................................................33 1. Changes in Fire-Killed Western Larch ...........................................................................33 2. Blister Rust Infection Levels in White Pine Plantations of Improved Stock (f2) ........33 3. Blister Rust Canker Growth in F2 Stock ........................................................................33 4. Girdling Rates of Blister Rust Cankers in F2 Stock......................................................33 5. Elytroderma Needle Disease Thinning and Pruning Project........................................34 6. Ponderosa Pine Decline on the Flathead Indian Reservation......................................34 7. Assessing the Effectiveness of Management Activities on DFB Populations ...........34 8. Testing the Effectiveness of Pheromone-Baited Funnel Traps in Reducing DFB- Caused Mortality in Nearby Stands of Susceptible DF......................................................34 9. Can Pheromone Trap Catches Reduce DFB-Caused Mortality....................................35